Catalog of Data Sources
A resource guide for finding relevant, accurate data and statistics
Table of Contents
Page #
Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................1
Who Should Use This Guide ...........................................................................................3
How Were These Sources Chosen? ................................................................................3
Reliable Versus Unreliable Sources ................................................................................4
What Makes a Source Reliable? ..........................................................................4
Margins of Error and Confidence Intervals ......................................................4
General Sources
360-Public ...............................................................................................................5
American Factfinder .............................................................................................5
Kids Count Data Center .......................................................................................6
NEOCANDO 2010+ ..............................................................................................6
NEORIO .................................................................................................................7
Opportunity Index ................................................................................................7
United Way Common Good Forecaster ............................................................8
Charitable Giving and Nonprofits
Foundation Center Stats .......................................................................................9
National Center for Charitable Statistics ...........................................................9
Crime
Uniform Crime Reporting Data Tool- FBI .......................................................10
Economy
Cleveland Federal Reserve ................................................................................11
Fund for Our Economic Future .........................................................................12
Ohio Department of Development ...................................................................12
Education
National Center for Education Statistics..........................................................13
Ohio Department of Education Data ...............................................................13
Government Spending, Campaign Contributions, Legislation
Federal Election Commission Disclosure Data Catalog ................................14
Govistics ...............................................................................................................14
Ohio LSC Budget Info ........................................................................................15
USA Spending .....................................................................................................15
The Center for Community Solutions
1
Page #
Health
Community Health Status Indicators ..............................................................16
County Health Departments .............................................................................16
County Health Rankings....................................................................................17
HCNO Data Link ................................................................................................17
Ohio Department of Health Data and Statistics .............................................18
Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey/Ohio Family Health Survey ................18
SAMHSA Data Outcomes and Quality ...........................................................19
Public Assistance
Public Assistance Monthly Statistics (PAMS) .................................................19
The Center for Community Solutions
2
Who Should Use This Catalog?
This data catalog has been developed for use by a wide range of audiences,
including but not limited to policy-makers, community leaders, health and human
services providers, and nonprofit professionals. It is meant to serve as a tool to assist in
finding relevant and reliable data on a wide variety of topics. The geographic focus of
this guide is Northeast Ohio, but many of the included sources have data for other
geographic areas as well. It is meant to be useful for users with a wide range of
experience levels when it comes to seeking data. To this end, each listing in the catalog
includes a ease of use rating, ranging from one star for not at all easy to use and/or
navigate to five stars for extremely easy to use and/or navigate
How Were These Sources Chosen?
Data sources for this catalog were selected based on the following criteria:

Reliable data (see next page)

Recent data

Free access to at least some of the data (a few sources have paid content in
addition to free content; this is noted in the description of the data source)

Data available at a geographic unit smaller than the state—i.e. county, city, zip
code, MSA, neighborhood, etc.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but is meant to provide options for data in a variety
of categories important to the wellbeing of communities in Ohio.
The Center for Community Solutions
3
Reliable Versus Unreliable Sources
One of the great things about the internet age is that huge amounts of useful data
and statistics are right at our fingertips. Unfortunately, not all data sources are created
equal. The Center for Community Solutions has created this Data Catalog as a resource
for organizations and individuals to utilize in order to find useful and reliable data and
statistics. This list is certainly not exhaustive, and a simple Google search will often
provide all the information you need. However, there are some sources that seem
deceptively reliable. It is important to use only reliable sources when presenting data.
What Makes a Source Reliable?
There are a few factors to consider when evaluating sources for reliability and
credibility. First, consider the author of the information. If no author or source of the
information is given, the source should not be considered credible. Likewise, if the
author does not provide information on where, how, and when their information was
obtained, the source is not credible. It also is a good idea to determine whether the
author has any authority on the subject matter. Also pay attention to the age of the data.
If no time period is given for the data, its credibility is very suspect. While there is no
hard and fast rule for how old is too old when it comes to data, it is best to have the
most up-to-date data available. While there is no definitive litmus test to determine the
reliability of a source, considering the aforementioned concerns will help in deciding
whether to utilize data from a given source.
Margins of Error and Confidence Intervals
Many data sources, particularly data coming from sample surveys, include
information on margins of error and confidence intervals. These are statistical tools
meant to take into account any error in the sampling method. A confidence interval is a
range that is highly likely to include the actual number for the statistic being sought.
The margin of error is half the confidence interval—the amount on either side of the
estimation. So, if a poverty rate is listed as 15% with a .5% margin of error, it means that
there is a high probability (usually 90% or 95% confidence level) that the actual poverty
rate is between 14.5% and 15.5%. In this example, the confidence interval would be
14.5%-15.5%.
The Center for Community Solutions
4
GENERAL SOURCES
360-Public
Created By: Public Insight Corp.
Website: www.360-public.com
Geographic Level of Data: City, School District, Zip Code
Ease of Use: 
360-Public is a new web-based public data platform that provides easily accessible
public information including demographic, economic, social, crime, housing, and
financial data. The web platform has a great deal of data and allows for easy
comparison. Most of the data on the website is available free-of-charge; however, for
some of the more complex analysis tools, there is a subscription fee. It is a strong source
of data for local information and allows for convenient access to data from a variety of
reliable sources.
American Factfinder
Created By: US Census Bureau
Website: http://factfinder2.census.gov
Geographic Level of data: National, State, Local
User Friendliness: 
By far the most utilized source of data due to its scope, depth, and variety of topics,
American Factfinder is a website put forth by the US Census Bureau. Data sources
covered by Factfinder include the Decennial Census, the American Community Survey,
the Economic Census, the Population Estimates Program, Annual Economic Surveys,
and many more. While the website can be overwhelming and confusing, there are
available tutorials and training on the website. Factfinder is a great first step when
seeking data on a variety of topics. Available statistical topics include demographics,
disabilities, education, employment, income, insurance coverage, poverty, veterans,
housing, the economy, and businesses.
The Center for Community Solutions
5
Kids Count Data Center
Created By: The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Website: www.datacenter.kidscount.org
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County, Congressional District, City
Available Statistical Topics: Free and Reduced Lunch Programs, Demographics, Economy,
Education, Health, Housing, and Poverty
User Friendliness: 
The Kids Count Data Center is a well-respected data source for all kinds of statistics
related to the well-being of children. Kids Count puts out an annual report on the state
of children nationally and state-wide that is available on the website or as a hard copy.
The website is easy to navigate, and provides a great deal of information at the state
and local levels. There are many interactive tools, as well as the ability to either make
your own data tables or view premade tables on a variety of topics. The website also
has special applications both for traditional use and on mobile phone browsers. All
statistical topics are understood in the context of child wellbeing.
NEOCANDO 2010+
Created By: The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development (CWRU)
Website: neocando.case.edu
Geographic level of data: Local (County, Zip Code, Ward, Neighborhood, Municipality, Census
Tract, etc.)
User-Friendliness: 
NEOCANDO stands for Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for
Organizing. It provides data from the Census and other local sources to allow users to
create their own data tables, maps, and graphs. This tool provides a great deal of locallevel information on a variety of topics, making it valuable for organizations within the
region. Users can look at one point in time or compare results over time. Pre-made
reports, briefs, and community profiles are also available on the website. Available
statistical topics include demographics, housing, poverty, income, public assistance,
education, economy, employment, industry, transportation, disabilities, and crime.
The Center for Community Solutions
6
NEORIO
Created By: The Center for Community Solutions
Website: www.communitysolutions.com/neorio
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, MSA, CSA, 16-County Region, County
User-Friendliness: 
The NEORIO initiative is a selection of indicator data focused on 16 counties in
Northeast Ohio. Its goal is the improvement of quality of life for Northeast Ohio
communities and their residents as indicated by positive movement in specific
measures. The NEORIO indicators utilize data from many of the sources mentioned in
this packet, including County Health Rankings and the Census. The NEORIO initiative
includes two categories of indicators—health, and social/economic. Data is given for the
region, as well as data for comparison’s sake at the national, state, and MSA/CSA level.
In addition, selected “peer” MSA and CSAs from around the country are also included
for the sake of comparison.
Opportunity Index
Created By: Opportunity Nation, Measure of America
Website: www.opportunityindex.org
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County
Available Statistical Topics: Economy, Income, Employment, Poverty, Housing, Technology,
Education, Civic Engagement, Crime, Food Availability, and Health Care Availability
User-Friendliness: 
The Opportunity Index was created as a means to look beyond simple economic
indicators such as GDP and poverty levels, into complex variables that more accurately
reflect economic opportunities. States and counties are ranked and given scores that are
easily comparable, making it easy to see how one’s geographic area measures up. The
data is easy to read, share, and compare. In addition, there are links to local advocacy
groups working to improve the outcomes and ways to get involved.
The Center for Community Solutions
7
United Way Common Good Forecaster
Created By: United Way, American Human Development Project
Website: http://apps.unitedway.org/forecaster
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County
Available Statistical Topics: Health, Crime, Poverty, Income, Employment, Education, and
Community Involvement.
User-Friendliness: 
This application’s main focus is on the importance of education, but it provides data on
many issues that overlap with education. The application allows for easy comparisons
on state and local levels, and provides data in graphical and text formats. It also allows
users to download data. Hypothetical projections based on changes in education levels
in the community are also available. The application requires Adobe Flash. Overall, the
Common Good Forecaster is a user-friendly visually appealing tool for educational and
other statistical data.
The Center for Community Solutions
8
CHARITABLE GIVING AND NONPROFITS
Foundation Center Stats
Created By: The Foundation Center
Website: http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/statistics
Geographic Level of Data: National, State
User-Friendliness: 
This website provides statistics on both sides of the grant process—data about
foundations that make grants, as well as data on grants that have been awarded and the
recipients of grants. The Foundation Center also allows users to search for the 990 IRS
forms of various nonprofits to find details about their funding. While there are no
customizable data tools, the available reports give a great deal of information about
grants, grant makers, and grant recipients on the national and state levels going back as
far as 1997.
The National Center for Charitable Statistics
Created By: The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, the Urban Institute
Website: http://www.nccs.urban.org/
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County
User-Friendliness: 
This website has a great deal of useful data on the nonprofit sector in the United States.
Users can make customized tables about nonprofits, public charities, private
foundations, and charitable giving within a given geographic area. State and county
profiles are also available, as well as a search function to find out about specific
nonprofits and their financial information including their 990 IRS forms.
The Center for Community Solutions
9
CRIME
Uniform Crime Reporting Data Tool- FBI
Created By: FBI, local agencies
Website: www.ucrdatatool.gov
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, Some Local
User-Friendliness: 
This data portal provides statistics on violent crimes and property crimes. Violent
crimes include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes
include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. The website allows users to
make customized tables in which date range, type of crime, and geographic area can be
specified, but the customized table tool is not very intuitive. Data is updated annually.
Local data is available for city law enforcement agencies serving 10,000 people or more,
and for county agencies serving 25,000 people or more.
The Center for Community Solutions
10
ECONOMY
Cleveland Federal Reserve Indicators and Data
Created By: The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Website: http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/data/index.cfm
Geographic Level of Data: Local, Regional, State, National, International
User-Friendliness: 
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has a wealth of information on the data portion
of its website, all of which is clearly labeled with the date of the most recent data
update. At the local level, the Fed maintains and reports on the Cleveland Financial
Stress Index, which monitors financial stability in four major financial sectors: credit,
equity, foreign exchange, and interbank markets. The CFSI has interactive charts to
allow users to see how it has evolved over time. At the regional and state level, data on
employment, unemployment, output, homeownership, and per capita personal income
are available. The regional and state data is only available in a downloadable excel
spreadsheet format. Also available on the website is information on national and
international inflation, federal fund rate predictions, and yield curves.
The Center for Community Solutions
11
Fund for Our Economic Future Research
Created By: Fund for Our Economic Future
Website: http://www.futurefundneo.org/en/Research
Geographic Level of Data: Northeast Ohio Region, County, some National for comparison
User-Friendliness: 
The Fund for Our Economic Future has a great deal of data available that pertains to the
economy of Northeast Ohio. Mostly in report form, data on economic attitudes, the cost
of local governments, and an annual dashboard of economic indicators include statistics
that give a wide range of information regarding business, employment, and
government spending. In addition, there is a useful annotated bibliography of economic
research that has been conducted in and about the region. The bibliography is divided
into the following topics: research sponsored by the Fund for Our Economic Future,
business growth and attraction, entrepreneurship and innovation, talent development
and education attainment, racial and economic inclusion, government collaboration and
efficiency, and others. It is important to note that the bibliography has not been updated
since 2009; however, much of the data it provides is still relevant.
Ohio Development Services Agency Office of Research
Created By: Ohio Development Services Agency Office of Research
Website: http://development.ohio.gov/reports/reports_research.htm
Geographic Level of Data: State, County, Local
User-Friendliness: 
This website contains a wide range of economic data for the state of Ohio as well as for
individual counties and localities. While the included data is strong, it is somewhat
difficult to find where each topic is available within the website. Their “county trend”
profiles include statistics about taxes, demographics, employment, educational
attainment, poverty, income, housing, and more. The website also include statistics
about the GDP of Ohio, Per Capita Income, profiles of various industries within the
state, information about Priority Investment areas, as well as information about tax
rates for businesses as compared to other states.
The Center for Community Solutions
12
EDUCATION
National Center for Education Statistics
Created By: the Federal Government, the Institute of Education Sciences
Website: http://nces.ed.gov
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County, School District, City
User-Friendliness: 
This website is full of a wide range of statistics related to all aspects of education. While
the main page of the website can be overwhelming due to the huge amounts of
information, it is a useful resource for finding data related to school districts, school
attendance, school crime and safety, state and district profiles, and many annual
publications. In addition, there is an option to make customized data tables. Every
school in the country has its own specific profile with useful demographic information.
The website also includes results from surveys such as the National Assessment of
Educational Progress, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, the Schools and
Staffing Survey, Career/Technical Education Statistics, the National Postsecondary
Student Aid Study, and many more.
Ohio Department of Education Data
Created By: The Ohio Department of Education
Website: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Data
Geographic Level of Data: State, School District
User-Friendliness: 
This recently updated website is now far easier to navigate than its clunky predecessor.
Available data include financial information about school districts, staff data, building
data, results of school climate surveys, and the interactive Local Report Card tool that
provides information about each school district’s graduation rates, test results, finances,
and demographics.
The Center for Community Solutions
13
GOVERNMENT SPENDING, CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS, LEGISLATION
Federal Election Commission Campaign Finance Disclosure Portal
Created By: Federal Election Commission
Website: http://www.fec.gov/pindex.shtml
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, Congressional District
User-Friendliness: 
Data related to federal campaign expenditures can be found on this website. Data is
available in table, map, and chart form. There is a search function that allows users to
search for particular individuals, organizations, PACs, and SuperPACs to determine
their campaign expenditures. In addition, data on bundled contributions, individual
candidate profiles, and lists of registered lobbyists are available. Data is updated
regularly in accordance with federal campaign finance laws.
Govistics
Created By: Center for Governmental Research
Website: http://www.govistics.com/
Geographic Level of Data: State, County (Local available with paid subscription)
User-Friendliness: 
This user-friendly web portal provides data about state and county government
spending, revenue, employees, and payroll, each broken down by categories. Data is
available as a “snapshot” or as a graph of change over time. In addition, the “compare”
tool allows for comparisons with other counties; one can choose to compare
automatically generated “peer” areas with similar populations, median incomes, and
land areas, or you can choose any county to compare. Demographic information is also
available. The source for all data is clearly identified, and comes from reliable sources
such as the Census. In addition, for a fee, one can purchase access to the same types of
data for local entities including cities, towns, boroughs, and villages, as well as school
districts.
The Center for Community Solutions
14
Ohio Legislative Service Commission Budget Info
Created By: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
Website: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/budget/default.htm
Geographic Level of Data: State
User-Friendliness: 
This website houses Ohio’s state budget, including all appropriations for different
programs and projects. Different aspects of the budget are available in full form, or in
brief, and can be seen as introduced, as passed by the House or the Senate, or as
enacted. The enacted version is the one that has become law. There is also a catalog of
budget line items that shows how very specific programs within different departments
of the government were funded, and how that funding has changed over time. While
this website may be a bit difficult to comprehend for those not familiar with state
budgets, it allows users to see how the state is spending its money and how programs
are funded.
USA Spending
Created By: Federal Office of Management and Budget
Website: www.usaspending.gov
Geographic Level of Data: National, State
User-Friendliness: 
While not a particularly user-friendly website, the amount of information available
makes this resource very valuable. USA Spending tracks all federal spending, and
allows users to see lists of spending by agency, by year, by recipient, by type of
spending, and more. There are options to do comparisons over time and to see how
federal spending has shifted. In addition, summary reports and graphs, trend reports,
and funding opportunities are all listed. Be aware that spending is categorized by
location of recipient, so most state-wide programs are listed under Columbus, making
true geographic analysis difficult.
The Center for Community Solutions
15
HEALTH
Community Health Status Indicators
Created By: US Department of Health and Human Services
Website: www.communityhealth.hhs.gov
Geographic Level of Data: State, county with national level for comparison
User-Friendliness: 
This information portal through the US Department of Health and Human Services
contains a variety of key health indicators at the state and county level. While the only
years available are 2008 and 2009, the site provides over 200 measures for each US
county. The data is divided into the following categories: summary measures of health,
national leading causes of death, measures of birth and death, relative health
importance, vulnerable populations, environmental health, preventative services use,
risk factors for premature death, and access to care.
County Health Departments
Of the 16 counties in the Northeast Ohio Region, the following have an annual report
including health statistics available on their health department or district website:
Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, and
Wayne. In addition, the following counties have other statistics available on their health
department or district website: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Mahoning, Medina, Stark,
Summit, and Trumbull. Keep in mind that some health departments and health districts
have websites that are separate from the official county government websites.
The Center for Community Solutions
16
County Health Rankings
Created By: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population
Health Institute
Website: www.countyhealthrankings.org
Geographic Level of Data: Mostly county, with some state and national level available for
comparison
User-Friendliness: 
This website ranks counties on a number of health-related measures. The measures are
divided into two categories: health outcomes, which measure how healthy a county is,
and health factors, which measure factors that influence health within a community.
Utilizing these two categories, the County Health Rankings offer statistics to measure
and compare health statuses within counties. Multiple years of data are available. In
addition to more typical health statistics such as mortality, number of uninsured, and
obesity rates, the County Health Rankings also measure environmental factors such as
air pollution and access to healthy foods, and social factors such as number of children
in poverty and crime rates. Finally, in addition to their ranking information, there is
also a tool called “Roadmaps” that allows users to explore ways to improve their
rankings, look up initiatives that are already growing within the community, and share
information about the rankings with others.
Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio (HCNO) Datalink
Created By: Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio
Website: http://www.hcno.org/community/data-indicator.html
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, County
User-Friendliness: 
This website contains data on a wide variety of health indicators dealing with access to
preventative health care, diagnoses of various diseases, risky health behaviors, safety,
and general health status. Data is available at the county level for 22 Northwest Ohio
counties, as well as two peer counties. Unfortunately, not all counties have the same
year of data available for each indicator, making comparisons difficult. Despite this,
Datalink has a wealth of information about particular counties and has many health
statistics that are not readily available elsewhere.
The Center for Community Solutions
17
Ohio Department of Health Data & Statistics
Created By: Ohio Department of Health
Website: www.odh.ohio.gov/healthstats/datastats.aspx
Geographic Level of Data: State, Local
User-Friendliness: 
This is a clearinghouse of all Ohio Department of Health data. There is a hospital
comparison tool, a map of healthcare facilities, along with a great deal of statistical
information. Topics include vital statistics, diseases and conditions, health surveys,
community profiles, and maternal and child health. Also included are environmental
health factors such as lead poisoning data and information. In addition, the Data
Warehouse option allows for customizable tables and graphs utilizing birth, death, and
cancer data. Much of the information is already in highly readable report formats. The
topic pages also include many outside links for further information.
The Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey/ Ohio Family Health Survey
Created By: Ohio Department of Insurance, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio
Department of Health, Ohio Department of Mental Health, and the Ohio Board of Regents
Website: http://grc.osu.edu/omas/
Geographic Level of Data: State, County
User-Friendliness: 
The Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (formerly the Ohio Family Health Survey) is
conducted by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center in
Columbus. The OFHS survey was conducted every 4 years since 1998, with a shorter
interim survey conducted in 2010 in order to assess the effect of the economic downturn
on the health of Ohio families. In addition, in 2011, the Ohio Employer Health Benefits
Survey was conducted to determine what sorts of employers do and do not offer health
insurance benefits. Finally, in 2012, the survey was changed to the OMAS, to collect
data on the health status of Ohio Medicaid and Medicaid-eligible populations. The
OMAS has a link to a dashboard of the survey results, and a great deal of data the other
surveys is available in map and report form. Overall, the website contains a great deal
of data regarding Ohioans’ health.
The Center for Community Solutions
18
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Data Outcomes and Quality
Created By: SAMHSA
Website: www.samhsa.gov/data
Geographic Level of Data: National, State, and Some Local Metropolitan Data.
User-Friendliness: 
This website is a clearinghouse of data from a number of surveys and collection systems
related to substance abuse and mental health. The data available on this site is either in
a very raw format that would require familiarity with data software such as SPSS or
SAS (no Excel format seems to be available), or is in report form—no customizable
tables here. Nonetheless, the state-level and metropolitan area-level reports provide
useful data such as prevalence of various drugs, demographics of drug users, treatment
facilities, and much more. Thus, the most useful area of the website is the “State and
Metro Reports” button on the left side.
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Public Assistance Monthly Statistics (PAMS) Reports
Created By: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Website: http://jfs.ohio.gov/pams
Geographic Level of Data: State, County
User-Friendliness: 
This website provides statewide and county-specific reports on the number of
individuals enrolled in public assistance programs managed by the Ohio Department of
Job and Family Services. Also included are total expenditures on these programs, as
well as the percent of population receiving public assistance. Programs that are
addressed are as follows: Ohio Works First, Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption
Assistance, Disability Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Child Care programs.
Data are updated monthly, but are not customizable.
The Center for Community Solutions
19